Externally mounted container holder for automotive vehicle

ABSTRACT

A container holder for an automotive vehicle includes a relief space configured within an exterior portion of a load-carrying automotive structure, such as a pickup truck box rail, and a generally cup-shaped insert extending within the relief space and supported by the load-carrying structure. Because the present container holder is mounted externally in the vehicle, it is readily accessible to personnel outside the vehicle&#39;s passenger compartment, such as people working on the ground around a vehicle.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

None.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a container holder configured upon an exterior portion of a vehicle and accessible to personnel located outside the vehicle.

2. Related Art

Automotive vehicle designers have included container holders as part of the interior appointments of vehicles for many years. Unfortunately, such interior container holders are not readily accessible to personnel positioned on the ground around a vehicle. Exterior container holders would be useful for vehicles such as sport utility vehicles or pickup trucks, which are commonly employed as work vehicles, and with which people spend hours working in the vicinity of the vehicle.

It would be desirable to provide a container holder which is accessible to personnel outside a vehicle, whether the vehicle's closures, such as tailgates or hatches, are closed or locked.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an aspect of the present invention, a container holder for an automotive vehicle includes a relief space configured within an exterior portion of a load-carrying automotive structure, and a generally cup-shaped insert extending within relief space and fastened to the load-carrying structure. The exterior portion may include an upper surface of an automotive bumper, with the relief space configured as a port formed in the bumper's upper surface for accepting the insert. Alternatively, the exterior portion may include a trim cover of an automotive load box rail, with the relief space including a port formed in the trim cover and the load box rail for accepting the insert.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a container holder may include either an integral or a removable cover for sealingly closing the cup-shaped insert when a container is not present within the insert.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a generally cup-shaped insert preferably includes a number of integral tabs for locking the insert into the relief space. The generally cup-shaped insert may also include one or more container retention tabs mounted to an inner surface of the cup-shaped insert.

As an alternative, the generally cup-shaped insert used with the present invention may be either circular or oblong.

It is an advantage of a container holder according to the present invention that the present container holder is readily accessible to personnel outside of a vehicle's passenger compartment.

It is another advantage of a container holder according to the present invention that the holder may be equipped with devices to keep the interior of the holder clean when the container holder is not in use.

It is another advantage of a container holder according to the present invention that the useful load-carrying volume of the vehicle is unaffected by the presence of the container holder or even by the presence of a container within the holder.

Other advantages, as well as features of the present invention, will become apparent to the reader of this specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pickup truck having a container holder according to the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a portion of a load-carrying pickup truck box depicted in FIG. 1, showing with particularity a container holder according to the present invention.

FIG. 2B is similar to FIG. 2A, but shows a container holder having an oblong configuration and holding a plastic bottle, such as a lubricating oil bottle.

FIG. 3 shows the container holder of FIG. 2 having a container inserted therein.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the container holder of FIGS. 2 and 3, taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4, but shows a container holder having a screw top cover.

FIG. 6 is similar to FIG. 4, but shows a container holder having a self closing cover or rain cap.

FIG. 7 shows a vehicular rear bumper having a container holder according to an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 7, but shows a container inserted into the container holder of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is similar to FIG. 9, but shows an insulated container holder according to an aspect of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle, 10, is configured as a pickup truck having a load carrying box, 14, attached thereto. Box 14 includes a floor, 22. As shown in the various figures, pickup box 14 has a tailgate, 18, which is hinged. FIGS. 2A and 2B show first embodiments of a container holder, 42 and 46, respectively, which are mounted through a load box trim cover, 26. Note that FIG. 2B shows insert 46 as being oblong and holding a plastic bottle, 47, commonly used for motor oil and other automotive fluids. This embodiment is particularly useful for working with both on-road vehicles and other power equipment such as off-road vehicles, snow machines, and wave runners.

FIG. 4 shows a mounting scheme, useful for practicing the present invention, in which cup-shaped insert 42, has a number of locking tabs, 76, for maintaining cup-shaped insert 42 within a relief space defined by port 34 which is formed in load box rail trim cover 26, and port 38, which is formed in load box rail 30. In essence, load box rail 30 is a stamped metal portion of the side of pickup box 14, and trim cover 26 is a molded plastic cover which is mounted to the top of load box rail 30. Ports 34 and 38 accordingly define a relief space into which cup-shaped insert 42 may be inserted.

Cup-shaped insert 42 has an upper flange 70, which may optionally be welded or otherwise bonded to load box rail trim cover 26. Alternatively, cup-shaped insert 42 may be molded in place as one piece with load box rail trim cover 26. If cup-shaped insert 42 is welded to load box rail trim cover 26, the insert and trim cover may be considered to be one piece notwithstanding that a port was first formed as 34 within trim cover 26.

Cup-shaped insert 42, and for that matter oblong insert 46, may be equipped with a port 50, in a lower wall thereof, as shown in FIGS. 4-6, which allows any liquids such as rain, or spillage from container 12 to drain down from cup-shaped insert 42.

FIG. 5 illustrates a first type of closure device for cup-shaped insert 42, including a threaded cover, 54, which engages internal threads 58 formed in the sidewall of cup-shaped insert 42.

With the cover of FIG. 6, as opposed to the cover of FIG. 5, the cover of FIG. 6 includes a rain cap, 62, which is driven to a closed position by a spring, 66, so as to automatically close whenever a container 12 is not present within cup-shaped insert 42.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 7-10, cup-shaped insert 42 is housed within bumper 80. Bumper trim cover 84 is provided with a port, 92, whereas bumper substrate 88 which underlies bumper trim cover 84, is provided with a port, 96 (FIGS. 9 and 10). This allows cup-shaped insert 42 to be mounted as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. As is the case with the previous embodiment, cup-shaped insert 42 may be welded or bonded or maintained within bumper 80 by means of locking tabs such as those shown in FIG. 4. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, cup-shaped insert 42 has a lining of thermally insulating foam, 100. Foam layer 100 is maintained within cup-shaped insert 42 by means of a barbed fastener, 102, mounted at the bottom of cup-shaped insert 42.

It is thus seen that in general, an automotive vehicle according to the present invention includes a load-carrying structure having a generally horizontal upper surface, with the previously described relief space configured within the load-carrying structure and extending downward from a port formed in the generally horizontal upper surface. In each case, a generally cup-shaped container holder is attached to the load-carrying structure and extends downwardly through the port and into the relief space from the generally horizontal upper surface. Rails circumscribing a pickup box provide a convenient load-carrying structure for mounting the container holder.

The foregoing invention has been described in accordance with the relevant legal standards, thus the description is exemplary rather than limiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosed embodiment may become apparent to those skilled in the art and fall within the scope of the invention. Accordingly the scope of legal protection afforded this invention can only be determined by studying the following claims. 

1. A container holder for an automotive vehicle, comprising: a relief space configured within an exterior portion of a load-carrying automotive structure; and a generally cup-shaped insert extending within said relief space and supported by said load-carrying structure.
 2. A container holder according to claim 1, wherein said exterior portion comprises an upper surface of an automotive bumper, with said relief space comprising a port formed in said upper surface for accepting said insert.
 3. A container holder according to claim 1, wherein said exterior portion comprises a trim cover of an automotive load box rail, with said relief space comprising a port formed in said trim cover and said load box rail for accepting said insert.
 4. A container holder according to claim 1, wherein said exterior portion comprises a trim cover of a pickup truck box rail, with said relief space comprising a port formed in said trim cover for accepting said insert.
 5. A container holder according to claim 1, further comprising an integral cover for sealingly closing the cup-shaped insert when a container is not present within the insert.
 6. A container holder according to claim 5, wherein said cover is self-closing.
 7. A container holder according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of integral tabs for locking the insert into the relief space.
 8. A container holder according to claim 1, wherein said exterior portion comprises an upper portion of a pickup box rail.
 9. A container holder according to claim 1, wherein said exterior portion of a load-carrying automotive structure and said generally cup-shaped insert comprise one piece.
 10. A container holder according to claim 1, further comprising at least one container retention tab mounted to an inner surface of said cup-shaped insert.
 11. A container holder according to claim 1, wherein said generally cup-shaped insert is oblong.
 12. A container holder according to claim 1, wherein said generally cup-shaped insert has a port formed in a lower wall thereof.
 13. A container holder for an automotive vehicle, comprising: a relief space configured within a generally horizontal upper surface of an exterior portion of an automotive body structure; and a generally cup-shaped insert extending within said relief space and fastened to said body structure.
 14. A container holder according to claim 13, wherein said generally cup-shaped insert is one-piece with said load-bearing structure.
 15. A container holder according to claim 13, wherein at least a side wall of said generally cup-shaped insert is thermally insulated.
 16. An automotive vehicle, comprising: a load carrying structure having a generally horizontal upper surface; a relief space configured within said load carrying structure, with said relief space extending downwardly from a port formed in said generally horizontal upper surface; and a generally cup-shaped container holder attached to said load carrying structure and extending downwardly through said port and into said relief space from said generally horizontal upper surface.
 17. An automotive vehicle according to claim 16, wherein said load carrying structure comprises a pickup truck box, and said generally horizontal upper surface comprises a portion of a rail circumscribing said pickup truck box.
 18. An automotive vehicle according to claim 16, wherein said load carrying structure comprises a vehicular bumper, and said generally horizontal upper surface comprises a portion of said bumper.
 19. An automotive vehicle according to claim 16, wherein said load carrying structure has at least one associated closure panel, with said container holder being accessible whether said closure panel is in a closed position or in an open position.
 20. A container holder according to claim 16, further comprising a threaded cover for sealingly closing the cup-shaped container holder when a container is not present within the insert. 